Chopper
08/31/2006, 07:40 PM
One of our painters has been working for two years on a show car. Three months on the paint alone. He's a youngster (25,maybe26) and he did all the expected mods...ie. way lowered, big wheels,rubber band tires,body kit all molded in, with at least 97 scoops-slots and vents, a big ol' waveform type rear wing, scissor doors,race seats, Nitrous injection, and on and on. All this on a Canadian Tiburon... a Trident I think it is called. He called Tuesday nite, all excited that it was finally ready for a shake down run, and since I am only a mile away, (and I'm a fairly stupid person known to test pilot all manner of home made stuff) would I ride along. When I cracked my skull on the stupid scissor door getting in I should have had a clue. The ride was akin to an unsprung buckboard, "stiff" doesn't do it justice...rocklike is more like it. Thousands in audio frippery absolutly useless because of the flatulent bumblebee exhaust. Blinking, glowing lights everywhere. At about 45 or 50, the fiberglass,forward, lift front end started wobbling in a most disconcerting way. James was oblivious to all of this, enjoying all his works so much, I didn't say anything. Without warning, he flips on the bottle and blasts off...for maybe 2 seconds. At about 65, there was this sensation of a parachute on the car opening up (as the 97 scoops slots, and vents started working) followed by a horrible ripping sound( made by fiberglass chunks freeing themselves from the car). He got it stopped ok, shouting WTF over and over. I couldn't answer...I was laughing too hard. Getting out to survey the carnage,I cracked my skull on the stupid scissor door,no matter,tears were already beginning to squirt out of my eyes anyway.James is stomping around cursing, and I'm about to puke from laughing so hard. Every few moments on the ride home,I nearly blow snot rockets trying so stifle the laughter. More than once I just broke out. James was not a happy man.Wonder if I'll be invited on the second official shakedown ride? Wanted to share...Wayne